Penguins missing visitors, say keepers, at locked-down Thai Zoo

[Jonathan Fairfield]

A penguin plays with a ball as members of the staff try to keep it fit and entertained during their daily waddle, due to lack of visitors following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions, at a zoo in Chonburi near Bangkok, Thailand August 5, 2021. REUTERS/Juarawee Kittisilpa

 

CHONBURI, Thailand (Reuters) - The flip flop sound of penguin feet rang out at an empty zoo in Thailand on Thursday as a parade of birds waddled out of their enclosure for their daily splash in a pool to keep them healthy during a COVID-19 lockdown.

 

Thailand is fighting its biggest coronavirus outbreak yet and has introduced strict movement curbs that have seen many public places, including zoos, shuttered.

 

"I noticed that they felt a bit confused because when they walk out, there's usually a lot of people waiting for them," said Tossapol Kosol, a penguin specialist at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo just outside Bangkok, the Southeast Asian country's capital.

 

"Now when they come out and there's no one here, they sometimes stop to look around, as if they're wondering where all the people have gone," he said.

 

Over the last year, Tossapol and his colleagues at the zoo have had to find ways to exercise the animals despite the lack of visitors.

 

 

After feeding the 41 penguins 25 kilogrammes (55 pounds) of mackerel, Tossapol and his colleagues march the penguins in unison down a long gangway that leads from their air-conditioned enclosure to an outdoor pool for exercise.

 

Zoo director Tawin Rattanawongsawat said that although he was unable to accept visitors - most of whom would have helped feed the penguins during normal times - life at the zoo had to find a way to carry on, for the welfare of its animals.

 

"There's no visitors these days, so they're being fed by their carers instead," he said. "They must be wondering why it's always the same faces, where are the children and their parents?"

 

"They must be a bit lonely."

 

(Reporting by Juarawee Kittisilpa; Writing by James Pearson; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-08-06

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

 

[ThailandRyan]

Sounds Ike it is a disguised story of missing free help to feed the penguins and the money that came with the opportunity to help feed the penguins from the visitors. Locals do visit Zoo's as well with their children and families.

[Scrotobike]

Dr. Doolittle is here in Thailand talking to penguins

How else can they know what the penguins are thinking

Is news so short in supply?

[2long]

These poor birds miss nothing than their instinctive need to be in the cold wild southern hemisphere, fishing and breeding.

They have no place in Thailand. It's just too hot!

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

"Now when they come out and there's no one here, they sometimes stop to look around, as if they're wondering where all the people have gone," he said.

More like the owners missing the revenue... Penguins aren't interested in visitors... just fish.

[jobsworth]

i wish that i could march from my  air-conditioned enclosure to an outdoor pool for exercise.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Why would the zoo permit visitors to feed the penguins and, with what?

[zhounan]

I think Zoo managers and owners missing visitors.

[realfunster]

You know things must be bad when the feel-good penguin story is rolled-out !

[Oink]

You could feed a lot of the animals at this zoo. One of the highlights for children was that twice a day the keeper had a big bucket of fish which he would distribute to the children and the penguins would run up to the kids for their fish dinner. Great fun. My personal favourites were feeding the Rinos and Giraffes, but most of all feeding the otters at 20 Baht (US 0.60c) a time it is hardly a cash cow.

No one paid to feed the penguins, it was just all part of the fun day out.

 

[jacko45k]

22 hours ago, jobsworth said:

i wish that i could march from my  air-conditioned enclosure to an outdoor pool for exercise.

Do you like raw fish?

[cdemundo]

Take 'em to the movies.

[Pattaya Spotter]

Just glad they been able to keep feeding and caring for the animals while they wait for better days. I fear for the animals in all the private roadside animal attractions and what has become of them during the pandemic.

Edited August 7, 2021 by Pattaya Spotter

[jacko45k]

2 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Just glad they been able to keep feeding and caring for the animals while they wait for better days. I fear for the animals in all the private roadside animal attractions and what has become of them during the pandemic.

Yes quite a few restaurants had little zoos or a few animals as attractions for the kids.... even elephants at PaBoons. Hope they are all still being cared for.... those Koy fish for example....

[Pattaya Spotter]

12 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Yes quite a few restaurants had little zoos or a few animals as attractions for the kids.... even elephants at PaBoons. Hope they are all still being cared for.... those Koy fish for example....

Yes....and all the "sheep farms," elephant camps, and the like. 

[jacko45k]

20 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Yes....and all the "sheep farms," elephant camps, and the like. 

Bee farm too, yes good point, likely moreso. Theme parks.... one opened near me and never did well.

[RJRS1301]

13 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Hope they are all still being cared for.... those Koy fish for example....

Curried/Grilled or battered?

 

[jacko45k]

3 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

Curried/Grilled or battered?

 

I expect that is possible......hungry folks about.